"We've got a lead!"
Uchiha Chiri smiled and shook her head.
"We sent some clansmen to scout for potential flying beasts. Three days ago, we received word from the Land of Rivers—they've found a giant eagle summon beast!"
"If everything goes well, it should arrive within a day or two."
"But there's a problem… Can we take summoned beasts directly into the One Piece world?"
"Do they need to be bound by contract too?"
"And will you have to raise their favorability too?"
If so, that might take time.
"Hmm…"
Genqing paused, thinking.
"Depends on its intelligence. If it has full sentience, then yes—I'd need to build trust and favorability."
"If it's more instinct-driven, we can either force a contract or store it directly in the space of the Time Gate."
"But only if it's fully subdued."
For intelligent beings, the Time Gate required willing cooperation—it was a built-in safety feature.
"So you'll likely have to earn its trust."
"Most summoned beasts are smart, and many can speak."
Chiri reminded him.
"Then I'll do that."
Genqing nodded.
"They're not as complex as humans—feeding it some sea king meat or high-grade nutrient pills should raise its favorability quickly."
"That's fair."
Chiri agreed.
A few hours later…
Genqing finally finished reading all the sealing techniques and their accompanying knowledge, including the complex Flying Thunder God technique.
He had them memorized—but mastering them would take time.
After dinner…
Genqing formally began chakra cultivation for the first time since awakening his innate talent and bloodline a month ago.
To his pleasant surprise, the process was now smooth and natural.
It felt nothing like the struggle of his first time.
His cells now held far more energy—dozens or even hundreds of times more.
He focused and continued refining.
[You practiced Chakra Refinement. Proficiency +30, Chakra +10.]
[You practiced Chakra Refinement. Proficiency +40, Chakra +10.]
[You practiced Chakra Refinement. Proficiency +52, Chakra +12.]
With each repetition, his understanding deepened and his extraction efficiency increased. His chakra output soared.
Ordinary ninja could only increase chakra through physical growth or by strengthening their bodies and enhancing their cells' energy.
Genqing, however, hadn't even reached full cell extraction efficiency—so he still had much room to grow.
And the better his physical strength, the faster his mental and spiritual power would rise in tandem.
Eventually, he hit 1.5 chakra units, and the system popped up:
[Uchiha Chakra Refinement Technique – 29,851/100,000 (Mastered)]
It had reached the mastery level.
"Still a few days away from hitting the limit…"
"I wonder what kind of new skill will unlock once I break through?"
"Will it be chakra-based cultivation? Or a more advanced version of the current technique?"
Genqing speculated.
"Hmm… Directly jumping to immortal cultivation seems unlikely—it hasn't even touched natural energy yet."
"Maybe if I master sage arts, it could evolve into some kind of cultivation technique…"
He recalled that Mount Shikkotsu likely had such knowledge.
Now that he was Tsunade's student, he could ask for a contract with the Slug Sage.
But ideally, he wanted to create a human-compatible sage or immortal path—something safe and sustainable.
He didn't want to mutate like Jiraiya had when practicing Mount Myoboku's techniques.
Next: Chakra Control Training
Genqing headed to the backyard, stood by a tall tree, and focused chakra to his soles.
CRACK!
Too much chakra—he shattered the bark.
He tried again with less.
Success.
[New Skill: Chakra Control (1/100) – Beginner]
As the skill formed, instinctive understanding flowed into his mind.
He adapted instantly.
He climbed higher and higher—until he stood atop the tree, overlooking the Uchiha district and distant lights of Konoha.
[You trained Chakra Control. Proficiency +3.]
[You trained Chakra Control. Proficiency +4.]
Within minutes, he'd advanced to Proficient level.
"This is it!"
"This is what true talent feels like!"
"All those years… I was held back by a weak body."
Now, every session felt rewarding. No more treading on eggshells, fearing his body would collapse.
He remembered his first chakra attempt—tense and terrified he'd die if he misstepped.
But that was the past.
After awakening his memories and combining two lifetimes of spirit, his soul had elevated.
Now, from atop the tree, he looked out over the world.
"My path to power… begins now."